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But then Vedreel smiled at me and said, “You can do this, Sera. You have more power than you realize.” His words gave me courage, and I squared my shoulders and nodded.
Vedreel stepped back and clapped his hands together three times in quick succession. The cave glowed with a brilliant white light that illuminated every corner of the chamber.
He then threw his arms out wide and shouted in a booming voice, “The test is simple—you must prove your strength by harnessing the raw power of faery.”
I felt a thrill course through me as I realized what he was asking me to do. With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused my energy on the cave which shimmered as faery energy filled the space, and I felt an electric charge run through my body as I channeled it into myself.
Suddenly there was a loud crack, and I opened my eyes to see that the walls were now glowing with an intense green light. It was breathtakingly beautiful—the magic radiating off them was like nothing I had ever seen before!
The power coursed through my veins, threatening to overwhelm me. It was like a storm raging inside my body, and I could feel the energy surging through me. My skin felt like it was on fire, and every breath was a struggle. I wanted to scream, but my voice wouldn’t work. I felt like I was going to burst apart, and I was sure that this was it—this was the end.
But then something strange happened—I felt my body and mind acclimate to the power. I let go of my fear and embraced the power, allowing it to fill me up and become a part of me. I felt a wave of peace wash over me as I surrendered to the weight of it. The energy grew brighter and brighter until it was blinding in intensity.
My eyes flew open as I realized what was happening. The power didn’t feel chaotic or overwhelming anymore; instead it felt like an extension of myself, like a part of me that had been missing all along. The walls glowed brighter than ever before, and I could feel the energy radiating from them in waves.
With a deep breath, I focused my energy on controlling the power rather than letting it control me. Slowly but surely, I gained control of it—the flames dimmed until they were just a soft glow, and my skin cooled down. I held out my hands in front of me, focusing on channeling the energy into a single point in front of me. It seemed impossible at first, but soon I could see a brilliant green orb forming in front of me.
The energy responded to me like I’d been born to it, as I apparently had been.
The walls dimmed and Vedreel stepped forward with a proud smile on his face. “You have done well, Sera,” he proclaimed. “You have harnessed the power of the Fae and you have proven yourself worthy of retaining the powers you possess.” He stepped back and bowed his head in respect.
I felt a wave of emotion wash over me as I realized how far I had come. Not long ago I was struggling to control my powers, but now I’d done it with ease. It was an amazing triumph—one that I wanted to savor.
But there was something I wanted even more than cherishing this hard won victory. The revelation about my paternity needed some further digging, and pronto. Neither my mother nor grandmother had ever disclosed to me who my father had been, always demurring that he simply was ‘no longer in the picture.’ It’d driven a wedge between my mother and I, such that we rarely spoke anymore except at family gatherings.
“Thank you, Vedreel. I wouldn’t have discovered any of this without your help. Now, do you know who my father is?”
Mindful Minotaurs
CADEN
Ray headed down a wide path on his meditation center’s grounds while Franc and I followed along. I wasn’t sure if he was headed to his car, toward his phone, or where we were going. The minotaur had said he’d help us find Taneisha, so at this point I’d follow him about anywhere if we found Sera at the end of this winding path.
As we walked, Ray shared his wisdom about relationships and the importance of understanding and acceptance. “Love is an ever-changing thing,” he said. “It can’t be forced, it can’t be controlled. It’s a living, breathing creature that needs to be nurtured.”
He paused to pick a flower from the side of the path and twirled it between his fingers as he continued talking. “It takes patience and compromise to make a relationship work,” he said. “Your mate and your brother-mates will have different views on certain things, but that doesn’t mean you can’t listen and understand each other’s perspective.”
I nodded in agreement as Franc asked Ray how he had learned so much about relationships. I knew Franc was humoring him, but I didn’t mind the distraction. Whenever my thoughts drifted back to dwelling on not knowing where Sera was, my gut churned with concern for her safety.
Ray smiled fondly at the memory before continuing on his way with us. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have some wonderful people in my life who have taught me many valuable lessons,” he said simply. “But ultimately it comes down to being willing to learn from your mistakes, love unconditionally, and accept one another for who you are.”
We followed Ray down the winding path for what felt like an eternity. He seemed to know exactly where he was going, but an inkling of suspicion crept into my thoughts. After all, he had been dating Taneisha not too long ago, and I didn’t trust him completely. Would he pick helping us over his former lover?
Finally, we reached a clearing in the woods and Ray stopped abruptly in front of a large oak tree with an intricate carving on it. “This is my secret door to Taneisha’s realm,” he said simply as he pressed his hand to the wood. “She created it while we were dating for ease of access, and then she left it active in case I changed my mind and wanted to see her again. But you gotta have boundaries, am I right?”
I recalled the conversation I witnessed between the two of them back at the maze. It was clear Taneisha had crossed multiple lines with Ray by abandoning him in the maze, and maybe even before that. I couldn’t help but be curious where they had left things after we’d parted.
The tree opened up to reveal a hidden passageway that led through darkness. Ray strode confidently forward, obviously at ease in this realm. Franc and I exchanged glances before cautiously following along after him together. After all, we’d come this far. What other option did we have?
We followed Ray through the narrow tunnel until we finally emerged into another clearing filled with lush flora and singing birds, most of which were subtly different, but some were the same as the forest before. Were we in faery or some realm Taneisha alone controlled? Across the clearing was a tall, rough-hewn stone wall with another ornate wooden door. As we crossed the space the moss-covered earth beneath us seemed to respond to our presence, cycling through a rainbow of colors as if in welcome to our arrival.
I assumed the artful welcome of this place was intended for Ray alone. Although we’d known they’d dated before, this spoke to a depth of connection I hadn’t quite grasped. It was clear Ray and Taneisha hadn’t just dated, this realm was symbolic of the middle ground they’d taken to build a life together. It took commitment to create this connected in-between land.
Ray knocked on the door and we waited in tense silence a few steps behind him. I didn’t know what to expect, but after the last few weeks, I was ready for anything. A few moments later, Taneisha opened the door with a smirk on her face. She was wearing a long purple dress that matched her eyes and she’d swept her hair back into an intricate braid.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite horny beast,” she said, arching an eyebrow at Ray. “To what do I owe this honor?”
Ray cleared his throat and stepped to the side, revealing Franc and myself behind him, and Taneisha’s broad smile faded, replaced with a scowl. “We’re here to ask for your help,” he said firmly.
